Affiliate Garden Network

Bringing together community garden leaders to share ideas, tools, and resources to grow more food + more community.

Community gardens have long been a vital part of the Champaign-Urbana community. They do the important work of nourishing our community by feeding people, building relationships, and identifying areas of community need. We honor, support, and uplift the work of both existing and new community gardens. Select a green icon on the map below to learn more about one of our current affiliates.

  • Solidarity Gardens Affiliates are collaborative or community gardens that commit to growing food for their neighbors and community. This may mean different things depending on the garden: one may donate all its excess produce through the Solidarity Gardens network, another may run a community food distribution directly out of the garden, and yet another may work with a kitchen to turn its excess produce into hot meals that are then distributed to the community. Affiliate Gardens participate in community building and community nourishment in different ways, but all involve unrelated people working together to contribute to Solidarity Gardens’ mission of promoting food access through gardening.

    • Commit to sharing food with neighbors in need.

    • Display a Solidarity Gardens sign in their garden.

    • Engage with other members of the Affiliate Garden Network through meetings, events, and communication channels.

    • Share information about Solidarity Gardens events and programming with their gardeners and constituents.

    • Link to Solidarity Gardens CU on their website (if they have one).

    • Participate in a yearly site visit with a member of the Solidarity Garden Steering Group (currently Sola Gratia Farm, Cunningham Township, Channing Murray Foundation, Urbana Park District, Champaign Park District).

    • Request support from the Solidarity Gardens volunteer pool.

    • Access the Affiliate Garden tool lending library.

    • Receive support in accessing compost and seed starts.

    • Request donated produce from other gardens for distribution at their events.

    • Have events and workdays boosted through Solidarity Gardens social media and informational channels.

    • Network with other gardeners and garden lades and collectively troubleshoot garden issues.

    • Shape future goals and projects of the Solidarity Gardens network.